By Aryeh Savir Much is said about life in Israel; the challenges are counted, the fear of the various regional threats are often talked about, the unique difficulties entailed with living in Israel are recounted time and again, yet a recently published poll by the Central Bureau of Statistics which tracked the social trends in […]
Poll finds Israelis are content with lives Read More »
Middle East
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–Israel is currently greatly benefiting from not having a foreign minister. Avigdor Lieberman, who helped Prime Minister Netanyahu to do badly in the last general election by joining forces with him, is currently otherwise engaged as a defendant in a criminal case. Netanyahu seemingly bound to keep the job open for
Israel awash in speculation over foreign policy Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM– There is a lot of tantalizing stuff buzzing around our ears and in front of our eyes, depending on whether we are hearing or reading what might be called the “news.” The problems are that some of the news may be disinformation coming from official sources, some comes from unreliable internet
Mideast mix: a peace initiative here, talk of war there Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Barack Obama has said that Syrian use of chemical weapons is a “game changer.” According to the lead paragraphs in a New York Times article, the President said “he would respond “prudently” and “deliberately” to evidence that Syria had used chemical weapons, tamping down any expectations that he would take
U.S., Israel backing down on ‘red line’ rhetoric? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — After several days of stuttering about a lack of proof and not wanting to rely on the intelligence of a foreign country, the US Secretary of Defense has admitted that it appears Syria has used a few chemical weapons. Thus the US comes into line with Israeli and European intelligence
World will watch U.S. action on Syria’s chemical use Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Aryeh Savir UNITED NATIONS, New York — Ambassador Ron Prosor, Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, spoke Wednesday, April 24, during the UN Security Council’s monthly debate on the Middle East. During his statement he noted that: “Earlier this month, the Iranian delegate…had the audacity to say the following ‘the transfer of arms to
Just how hypocritical is Iran’s government? Read More »
Middle EastBy Roz Rothstein and Roberta Seid Anti-Israel activists spin tales about alleged Israeli human rights abuses to instill hostility against the Jewish state. They have had an impact, but not one desired by most fair-minded people. The false allegations have served as a decoy, distracting the UN, NGOs, churches, students and the wider public from the
Women, gays, other religions persecuted in Middle East Read More »
Middle EastBy Anav Silverman JERUSALEM — Nearly one millennium ago, a group of Armenian monks established a hospital outside the walls of Jerusalem to treat victims of leprosy, a chronic disease that was widespread during the Middle Ages. The hospital, known as the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem, eventually served the Knights
Jerusalem welcomes modern-day knights Read More »
Middle EastBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — As a U.S. senator, Chuck Hagel went to great lengths to assure people he was not the “Senator from Israel,” and he seemed surprised when people objected to his remark, “The political reality is … that the Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here.” It was never
Did Secretary Hagel have an Israel epiphany? Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — This week’s headlines have featured two separate quarrels of the kind that fascinate policy mavens, even while they cause us simpletons to scratch our heads and wonder who, if anyone, is right. One of them–or actually two separate but closely related quarrels–is of the kind that stirs interest and concern
Red lines and tourist lines Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy J. Zel Lurie DELRAY BEACH, Florida — Salam Fayyad was 55 years old when they found him six years ago. “They” are the secretary of state and the European donors who wanted to help the Palestine Authority in its hour of trial but did not want to see their contributions diverted by corrupt Fatah
Fayyad resigned, or did he? Read More »
Middle East
By Gil Lavie King Goodwill Zwelithini, leader of the Zulu nation in South Africa, marked Israeli Independence day along with his wife Queen Thandi at a Yom Ha’atzma’ut ceremony held on Thursday at the Israeli embassy in Pretoria. The King, 64, is the ceremonial leader of the country’s Zulu population, SA’s largest black ethnic
Zulu king celebrates Israel Independence Read More »
Middle EastBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — Almost lost in the terrible events in Boston is the Obama administration’s dire warning last week that the window for diplomatic success in the Middle East is closing — not on Iran’s quest for nuclear capability; not on the Syrian war; not on sectarian violence in Iraq; not on
Enough with the ‘window of opportunity’ rhetoric Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Aryeh Savir SHA’ALABIM, Israel — Charlie Park, Vice President of Samsung Korea, visited an Israeli Yeshiva at Sha’alabim last week. He was accompanied by a South Korean camera crew. Their objective was to document how students study Talmud at the Yeshiva. Park met with the program directors and with students. The South Koreans have
Samsung exec tours yeshiva to find source of genius Read More »
Middle East